Known earring clips of the spring-pressure type having adjustable contact spacing utilize a transversely mounted screw member which may be moved axially back and forth in relationship to the clip portion to which it is fixed. Accordingly, the spacing between the contact means and thus the amount of pressure that will be applied to the ear lobe of the wearer when in a spring closed position can be varied. A commercial embodiment of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,176,475 issued Apr. 6, 1965, to the present inventor. Therein, the terminal portion of a pivotal jaw member is provided with several bent portions so as to provide a plurality of openings and a terminal edge, all of which receive and position the threaded member. The threaded screw member is axially movable back and forth in relationship to the movable jaw so that the contact portion provided at one end thereof is adjustable with respect to the contact provided on the stationary jaw so that the spacing between the opposed contacts is variable.
While commercially acceptable for most purposes, this construction presents a rather high profile inasmuch as those terminal portions of the adjustable jaw which are positioned beneath the screw member and which are reversely bent necessarily require a height addition at least equal to the extent of such reverse curve. In some applications it is desirable to present an earring having an overall low profile, i.e., one in which the curved portion of the fixed jaw more closely hugs the bottom of the ear and renders the attachment means accordingly less noticeable. Thus, it would be desirable for such purposes to present an adjustable earring clip having a lower overall profile.
Furthermore, the plurality of the contact points between the screw member and the terminal loop of the prior construction described could result in binding, due to the presence of three separate contact points between the looped terminal configuration and the threaded member received thereby. Accordingly, it is desirable to produce an earring clip of similar construction having a softer touch, that is, one that presents a construction wherein the screw member is more easily axially movable with respect to the movable jaw portion thereof.